1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel detergent composition, and, more particularly, to an economical detergent composition for kitchen use which, when applied to a sponge, can be retained on the surface of the sponge without being soaked quickly into it, and which can avoid the excess use as the squeezed amount is visualized by its opaque appearance.
2. Description of the Background Art
Dish washing detergents are usually used either by preparing a diluted solution in a sink or a pail in which tableware is washed, or by applying the neat liquid directly to a sponge and washing tableware with it. Of these, the latter method is more often used.
Most of the conventional dish washing detergents have a drawback in that the volume to be squeezed from the container cannot be easily perceived visually because they are transparent in appearance.
On the other hand, there are some dish washing detergents which are opaque. However, the viscosity of these detergents is usually adjusted to a relatively low grade to facilitate easy squeezeing. This also brings about the difficulty of perceiving the squeezed amount visually when the detergent liquid is directly applied on a sponge because the detergent liquid soaks immediately into the sponge.
Due to the difficulty in perceiving the squeezed amount visually, as stated above, the conventional liquid detergents has been known difficult to control its amount to be used. This often leads to excess use of detergents, which is not only uneconomical but is sometimes considered to be a cause of chapped hands.
An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a liquid detergent composition of which the squeezed amount can be easily perceived visually and the amount to be used can be constantly controlled.
In view of this situation, the present inventors have undertaken extensive studies on the appearance of liquid detergents and properties of detergents upon squeezing from their containers. As a result, the present inventors have found that an opaque detergent, which can always be squeezed from a container at a constant amount and is visually perceivable on a sponge without being soaked quickly into it and is easily squeezed from the container, can be obtained by incorporating a pearlescent agent and by controlling not only the viscosity but also the Brookfield yield value of the composition within a certain range. These findings have led to the completion of the present invention.